A sense of social conscience in drive for equity

Associate Professor Misty Jenkins AO was among the recipients at a recent investiture ceremony at Government House, Victoria. 

A medical laboratory scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Dr Jenkins was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical science as an immunologist, to the promotion of women in STEM, and to the Indigenous community.  

Dr Jenkins says that although people don’t work in medical research with accolades in mind, it’s important to acknowledge contributions beyond traditional measures of success such as academic papers, grants and student graduations. 

“These sorts of awards really capture individuals’ generosity and advocacy,” she says. 

It’s a desire to give back – or her ‘sense of social conscience,’ as she describes it – that drives Dr Jenkins to be an active voice for equity in STEM. 

Born and raised in Ballarat as a woman of Gunditjmara descent, she was the first Indigenous Australian to attend the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge as a postdoctoral research fellow.  

Through numerous board and founder roles in different organisations, Dr Jenkins advocates for expanding pathways, enabling others to follow in her footsteps. 

Women and Indigenous Australians have been historically under-represented in the sciences, but recognition increases the visibility of role models for the next generation. 

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” she says. 

Going forward, Dr Jenkins hopes to continue her advocacy and offering the same support and mentorship that she has benefitted from in her own career. 

She is also eager to see others recognised for their work and is looking to nominate someone in her own life for an Order of Australia.  

“I already have someone secretly in my sights who gives so much on so many different levels across society and has been largely unrecognised for their efforts.”